Kaylee Nah

violin soloist, Side-by-Side with ESYO

KAYLEE NAH, 16, is a Junior at Sunset High School and has studied violin under Hae-Jin Kim since the age of five. She has been a member of the Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) organization since 2018 and serves as co-concertmaster of the PYP orchestra. Kaylee has been selected as concertmaster of the OMEA All-State Symphony Orchestra in both 2024 and 2025, World Youth Symphony Orchestra of 2024 Interlochen Arts Camp, and NYO2 2025 (National Youth Orchestra), where she performed alongside fellow young American instrumentalists at Carnegie Hall and the Edinburgh International Festival.

Kaylee has made numerous achievements such as becoming the two-time champion of the OMEA State Solo contest by winning 1st place in both 2024 and 2025. She also won 1st place in both the Oregon state and Northwest divisions of the MTNA Junior String competition, advancing as one of seven national finalists. Furthermore, Kaylee also won 1st place in the Oregon ASTA solo competition, 2025 Eugene Symphony Guild Legacy Young Artist Competition, MetroArts Young Artists Debut! Competition, and the Monday Musical Club Award Competition, where she received the $2,000 Phillips Award for best instrumental performance.

As an active soloist, Kaylee won the Jewish Community Orchestra Young Artist Competition and performed with the orchestra in 2025. She also soloed with the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra as a winner of the 2025 Youth Competition. She has participated in masterclasses for many renowned artists including Ray Chen, Vadim Gluzman, Benjamin Beilman, Sunmi Chang, and Jessica Lee.

Kaylee’s musical experiences also include playing in many chamber ensembles, learning the piano, and working to spread the joy of music through several nonprofit organizations. She is the Musical Director of Project Prelude, and further serves her community through Euphonos Ensemble and Music4Harmony. Besides music, she loves drawing, painting, and hanging out with friends.